Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

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This focaccia recipe, topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, is inspired by a trip to Italy and a meeting with a kind-hearted Italian grandmother.
Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (1)

I learned many years ago not to question Italian grandmothers when it comes to matters of the kitchen, particularly when these matters involve a classic focaccia recipe and gnocchi. When I was in my early twenties, making an epic backpacking trip around Europe (well, it was epic to me anyways), my friend and I stayed at a charming pensione, named Chicco di Grano, in the heart of Tuscany.

While the family-run inn was not the luxurious Italian villa that regularly stars in my daydreams, it was many steps above the bunk-sleeping, shower-sharing youth hostels of our travels to that point. Nestled at the top of a long driveway lined by prolific olive trees and host to an expansive view of the surrounding vineyards and groves, Chicco di Grano was the destination of many Italian travelers. Perhaps our very limited handle of the Italian language (counting from one to ten doesn't count) was why we got off on the wrong foot with the proprietor's elderly mother.

Dinners at Chicco di Grano were enjoyed at the long wooden table set on the stone patio. If you were the newcomers, as we were the first night, you were seated at the end of the table furthest away from the hosts, Paolo and Jean - and Paolo's mother (we'll call her Nonna). As guests departed on subsequent nights, the newcomers became old-timers and moved up the table. It was that first night that we were under the intense scrutiny of Nonna. Each time I looked up the table, she was studying us, never sparing a smile for either my friend or me. What had we done to offend her? Had we broken some cardinal rule of Italian dining?

With some trepidation, we arrived at the breakfast table the next morning. When Nonna came into the room, she shuffled over to us, wished us a hearty "Buongiorno", pulled each of us down to her, and planted kisses on our cheeks. Besides being effusive in our compliments of the dinner and throwing a wild party in our room, we had no idea how we made our way into her good graces overnight. It was not to be questioned.

As the days went by, we spent many hours around that table on the patio, diving into the wonderful meals, sipping wine, and dancing under the stars with Paolo and the other guests. The day before we departed Chicco di Grano, Nonna beckoned us into the kitchen. Through hand gestures and patient demonstration, she taught us to make her rosemary-infused focaccia and pillowy gnocchi. Those couple of hours lit a culinary fire in me and taught me about the importance of taking care in preparing meals for those you love. My notes from that lesson were tucked away in my travel journal that my parents found recently. Unfortunately, I was missing the amounts for a couple of the focaccia ingredients. So, the basic focaccia recipe is from Food & Wine Magazine. The toppings, however, are Nonna-inspired. I think she would have approved.

The focaccia recipe:

In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (3)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (4)

Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Other focaccia recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's
Gluten-Free Goddess' Gluten-Free Focaccia with Tomato & Garlic
Smitten Kitchen's Grape Focaccia with Rosemary

Printable Recipe

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (5)

Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary Recipe

This focaccia recipe, topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, is inspired by a trip to Italy and a meeting with a kind-hearted Italian grandmother.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary needles removed from stem
  • cup packed finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes.

  • Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.

  • Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

  • Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

  • Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

  • Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

Basic focaccia recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (6)

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

FAQs

What are the two types of focaccia? ›

Venetian focaccia is sweet, baked for Easter and resembles the traditional Christmas cake panettone. Sugar and butter are used instead of olive oil and salt. Focaccia barese, which is common in Puglia in southern Italy, is made with durum wheat flour and topped with salt, rosemary, tomatoes or olives.

Is it better to use bread flour or all purpose flour for focaccia? ›

Using plain flour, as in Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, or even finer “tipo 00” flour as in The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook, will give you a softer, more tender crumb; while Richard Bertinet's mixture of strong bread flour and coarse semolina in his book Dough creates a more robust, ...

Why does focaccia use so much olive oil? ›

Now, focaccia uses plenty of olive oil, not only in the dough, but for kneading, proofing, in the baking pan, and on the bread's surface before baking. All this fat means the texture is light, moist and springy, the crust emerges golden and crisp, plus the center stays soft for days afterwards.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy? ›

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

Is focaccia healthier than regular bread? ›

A moderate consumption of focaccia bread can be healthy. It is because complex carbs in focaccia offer the body energy slowly and help control blood sugar levels. In addition, it gains an advantage if it contains whole wheat flour. It is also rich in vitamin, mineral, and fibre content.

Does focaccia have to rise twice? ›

Focaccia requires two rising periods — the first occurs once the dough has been mixed and the yeast is starting to colonize the flour, and the second is after the dough has been dimpled. The second rise for focaccia can take anywhere from 20 minutes to upwards of 45 minutes, depending on the recipe.

Which flour is best for focaccia? ›

Focaccia made with high-protein bread flour produces the best results, but all-purpose flour will work as well.

Can you over knead focaccia? ›

Tips for the perfect homemade Focaccia.

Don't over-knead your dough– In the first step, make sure the dough has come together enough that it's sticky but not smooth, this will help to make the much desired air bubbles.

Why is my focaccia not crunchy? ›

For a crispier bottom, bake your focaccia directly on top of a preheated baking steel. Equipment: If you're using a pan that is less non-stick, make sure to put a bit more oil on the bottom and/or lay some parchment paper down.

Why put focaccia dough in fridge? ›

Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 48 hours in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, though if you are pressed for time, you can make this start-to-finish in 3 hours.

Should you stretch and fold focaccia? ›

Note: The stretch and fold method is better suited than kneading for a high-hydration dough such as this because the dough is naturally sticky and this method reduces hand contact. Additionally, the stretch and fold will allow for an open crumb when baked because the air isn't pushed out of the dough.

Can you put too much olive oil in focaccia? ›

EXPERT TIP: It may feel like you are adding excessive amounts of olive oil during the making of this bread. Don't worry, the bread can take a lot of olive oil, and not only helps in enhancing the taste, but it also keeps the bread from sticking to the pan and helping the top to brown perfectly.

What happens if you don't dimple focaccia? ›

Not just for aesthetic flair, dimpling the dough is a vital step because it expels air from the dough, preventing it from rising too fast, giving it that perfect crumb. That, combined with the weight of the oil, will prevent a puffed-up poolish that more closely resembles a loaf than a tasty crust.

Should focaccia be thin or thick? ›

Thick or thin? The thickness of a focaccia can vary, too, but an authentic focaccia genovese should be rather thin, even if it needn't be quite as thin as my version presented here. So many non-Italian renditions of “focaccia” are more like bread in their thickness.

Should focaccia be overproofed? ›

Can you overproof focaccia dough? You can definitely overproof focaccia, but it is difficult. There is so much oil in the dough, and very little sugar, so the yeast is "sleepy" or slow due to both of those elements and less likely to overproof.

What's the difference between focaccia and schiacciata? ›

Schiacciata is typically thinner and lighter than focaccia, with a texture that is often more airy and delicate. It is commonly seasoned with olive oil, salt, and sometimes herbs like rosemary or sage. Focaccia, on the other hand, tends to be thicker and more substantial, with a chewier texture.

What are the regional types of focaccia? ›

Here's a quick guide to Italy's most delicious focaccias, from the Alps to Sicily
  • Fügassa genovese. Liguria. Focaccia Genovese. ...
  • schiacciata. Tuscany. Schiacciata. ...
  • Pizza Bianca. Lazio (Rome) Pizza Bianca. ...
  • Focaccia Pugliese. Puglia. Focaccia Barese. ...
  • Red chili focaccia and sfincione. Calabria and Sicily. Sfincione.
Mar 25, 2024

Is focaccia and ciabatta the same? ›

Here are three differentiating points between focaccia and ciabatta: Texture: Focaccia has a lightweight, cake-like consistency that is similar to pizza dough. On the other hand, ciabatta has a dense consistency and a chewy texture. Baking: Focaccia is baked as a flatbread, while Ciabatta is baked as loaves.

What is the Florence version of focaccia? ›

And do not mistaken it with focaccia don't you dare. Schiacciata is a Florentine flatbread that characteristically is closer to, I'd say, a pizza bianca than anything else.

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